For one month, the Head of Ulysses (1st century BC – 1st century AD), an extraordinary archaeological artifact that is particularly representative of Italy’s and Europe’s cultural identity, is exceptionally on display in Miami at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum. The exhibition, coordinated and organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Miami, stems from a loan agreement between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Ministry of Culture – Regional Directorate of National Museums of Lazio.
The Head of Ulysses, from the Group of the Blinding of Polyphemus, comes from the Archaeological Park of the Villa of Tiberius and the National Archaeological Museum of Sperlonga (Latina).
The Villa of Tiberius (Roman emperor from AD 14 to 37) was brought to light in the second half of the 1950s during the construction of the Terracina–Gaeta coastal road. Thousands of marble fragments were recovered from the circular basin inside the grotto located at the far end of the imperial complex. The decorative program of the grotto—commissioned by Tiberius, known for his reputation as a collector and lover of the arts—was divided into sculptural groups (four of which have been identified to date) and created a highly theatrical mythological landscape centered on the figure of Ulysses and his exploits.
The Head of Ulysses belonged to the group depicting the Blinding of Polyphemus, the episode from the Odyssey in which the Homeric hero and his companions manage to pierce the Cyclops’ eye and escape. The head, a work of extraordinary expressive power—with its tangled, unkempt beard, long locks of hair, furrowed brow, and prominent frontal arches—demonstrates exceptional artistic mastery. Traces of paint on the cloak of the body associated with the head indicate that the entire sculptural group was once vividly colored.
Accompanied by an immersive video about the museum and the archaeological park of Sperlonga, the sculpture is on view with free admission until July 19, 2026, at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University (FIU). For further information on opening days and hours, visitors may consult the museum’s website. The initiative coincides with the weeks leading up to the release of the highly anticipated U.S. film The Odyssey (2026), based on Homer’s epic poem.
